Stories

God interrupts selfies

Image: Seth Doyle, Unsplash

Image: Seth Doyle, Unsplash

Celebrate with us 🎉- Jesus is breaking into the lives of those who don't know him! This is a story from a Mahabba member whom we supported on an outreach project.

Like, comment or share if you're encouraged! 👍

God interrupts selfies

I met Alice and Odette while they were on holiday. They were busy taking selfies but God interrupted!

While trying to get chatty, I quickly realised they could not speak English only Russian. God used my friend miraculously, who was able to interpret God's question for them:

What are your hopes and dreams?

Alice wanted to be married and have her own business and Odette was desperate to conceive.

We were able to share a miracle that related perfectly to Odette, and the Holy Spirit softened their hearts ready for salvation; they were touched to tears and gave their lives to the living God right there and then!

When they finished praying with them, I witnessed that their hands were covered back to front with gold dust and their appearance was radiant with the glory of God.

We recommended churches in their hometowns and encouraged them to keep their faith strong.

We went away praising God's wonder, love and kindness, and praying that God help them be true disciples and follow him.

 

Your turn

Like, comment or share if you're encouraged! 👍

It is we who want to thank you

Image: Matt Jones, Unsplash

Image: Matt Jones, Unsplash

It is we who want to thank you

One of our regional reps was on the road recently, helping to motivate and mobilise local Christians to love their Muslim neighbours.

We got the following note of thanks!


Dear Mahabba,

It is we who want to thank you. We want to tell you how grateful we are for your contribution to our event.

the Christian way is to make friends with Muslims, respect them as people, show understanding and reach out with the grace the Lord Jesus offers

You communicated the message so well: that the Christian way is to make friends with Muslims, respect them as people, show understanding and reach out with the grace the Lord Jesus offers.

Personally, I was twice blessed by you, having been a teacher and wanting to share that grace with Muslims which identifies us as Christians.

Your message would have been a window for people to see a fresh understanding of the Word. Your impact was so powerful.

Our discussions about Islam and Muslim people will never be the same again!

Our discussions about Islam and Muslim people will never be the same again!

Time together was brief, but it was such a pleasure to meet you both.

Thank you for your introduction to Islam which was all too brief. May the Lord richly bless your ministry. "The field is ripe.."

James & Charlotte


You can read the story of the event with James and Charlotte below.

Jesus & Muhammad

Image: Adam Przewoski, Unsplash

Image: Adam Przewoski, Unsplash

Jesus & Muhammad

Local Mahabba members were involved with another Meeting for Better Understanding (MBU) between Muslims and Christians the other night.

The discussion was to do with Jesus and Muhammad.

Individuals had been praying hard for the Holy Spirit to move in this particular mosque, which practises a strict form of Islam.

There have been a number of previous MBU’s, but little outward signs of warming to the Gospel.

On the night, about 80 people, mainly Muslims, heard a clear Gospel presentation and took evangelistic literature.

Questions and discussion about Muhammad and Jesus clearly gave Muslims present much food for thought, some of them a little troubling, as they challenged their current beliefs about Jesus.

Christians continue to meet up with their Muslim friends, so please pray for them as they build relationships and share Jesus, particularly as the Gospel stirs people's hearts and minds with questions and promptings.

Your turn

Have you been inspired?

Why not get in touch with your local Mahabba prayer group, get praying and see where God leads you?

Where does god gain more honour?

Image: Jacob Meyer, Unsplash

Image: Jacob Meyer, Unsplash

Individuals from a local Mahabba prayer group have been involved in running a meeting for better understanding (MBU). 30 Muslims attended the event with Christians and heard the Gospel very clearly.

A Muslim speaker made a very startling statement, quoting from Deuteronomy 21:23.

Whoever hangs on the wood is cursed by God

He went on to say:

For this reason, it is impossible for us to believe that Jesus died on the cross. God would never allow such a terrible thing to be said about one of the greatest prophets

The Christian speaker succeeded very well in building the Gospel precisely on this truth:

Jesus took the curse that had been caused by our sin and paid the punishment of death on our behalf

It was clear that from a Muslim perspective, the death of Jesus is a great sign of God’s weakness.

Therefore, it is very important to emphasise that:

The Gospel does not finish with the curse and death of Jesus, but continues with the lifting of the curse by his resurrection!

A great question to ask Muslims regarding this central issue is:

Where does God gain more honour, by preventing the death of Jesus, as it is described in the Q uran, or by raising him from the dead, as described in the Bible?

The answer is self evident.

For more helpful answers and resources on how to speak with grace and truth to Muslims, check out the Christianity Explained website.

News from Harrow - Prayer on the Streets

Image: Herry Lawford, Flickr

Image: Herry Lawford, Flickr

Thanks to the Mahabba Peterborough for passing on this story of God moving among Muslims in Harrow!

News from Harrow - Prayer on the Streets

By Clare Lambert, Stanmore Baptist Church

Taking the Gospel out onto the streets can be an uncomfortable prospect but, for eight years, a small team from our church in Harrow has been praying for healing and sharing the gospel with our neighbours.

We set up Healing on the Streets out of a sense of urgency - if they would never come in, we needed to get out!


We set up Healing on the Streets out of a sense of urgency as we realised that what we did in the building would not touch the majority of people walking past. If they would never come in, we needed to get out! It was the supernatural element of our faith that we were convicted to take onto the streets and Healing on the Streets, who pioneered this ministry, were able to provide the training that we needed.

Our method is simple. We meet outside Sainsbury’s, on the High Street, where we set up a banner, some chairs and refreshments and hand out flyers. Our approach is gentle and respectful. The simple phrase "we’re here to offer prayer", for example, can stop a person in their tracks. We’re always mindful of working in partnership with God and it’s a privilege to do so.

Harrow is the most religiously diverse local authority in the UK and this is a wonderful way of connecting with our neighbours since our consistent weekly presence has created community. Most people come specifically for prayer, either as a one-off or on a regular basis. Others come for coffee and a chat and this often leads to prayer too. We have many testimonies of healings and answers to prayer and some people have come to the Lord.

A Muslim woman comes regularly after her husband’s cancer was healed through prayer elsewhere. She is being drawn to Jesus


One woman, from a Hindu background, was feeling isolated. She experienced healing and found community with us. She has subsequently given her life to Jesus. A couple, also Hindus, came to us when the husband was diagnosed with a large tumour. This man encountered Jesus as we prayed and the subsequent operation revealed an unexpectedly small and benign growth which was easily removed. The couple praised Jesus for that intervention. A Muslim woman comes regularly after her husband’s cancer was healed through prayer elsewhere. She is being drawn to Jesus.

We are very aware that the Holy Spirit is already at work and that He brings people to us. This enables us to minister from a place of peace and with an understanding of the delegated authority we have in Jesus’ name to move in the gifts of the Spirit. All followers of Jesus can do this!

YOUR TURN

Have you been inspired?

Why not get in touch with your local Mahabba prayer group, get praying and see where God leads you?

Thank you - BMS event

Image: Simon Ingram, Flickr

Image: Simon Ingram, Flickr

Mahabba was part of the recent equipping and encourage 'Helping Christians engage with Muslims' event and received the following feedback:

Dear Mahabba,

My husband and I attended the excellent Mahabba West event at BMS Birmingham on Saturday.

We would like to express our thanks for putting on this event and enabling us to hear about some of the ways God is using folk to love Muslims for his sake.

I especially enjoyed the session on Ethics by Louise Brown and was glad to hear from Roxy and obtain a copy of the DVD course, Joining the Family.

The lunch was excellent too, although the dining room was very noisy!

Your sincerely,

Barbara

Thanks, Barbara!

If you want to find out about other upcoming events, do visit our events page.